Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 117

Bang!

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out from behind.

“Aaaagh!”

Franz instantly let out a sharp scream and hunched his upper body into a tight ball. It was only after confirming several times that the bullet hadn’t hit him that he straightened up hesitantly. When he saw the bullet lodged in the tree right in front of him, he flinched and turned around.

Smoke was rising from the barrel of the hunting rifle in Lucius’s hands. The Duke had fired at him. Even after seeing it with his own eyes, he couldn’t believe it.

“W-what the heck do you think you’re doing?!”

His voice was full of panic, but the Duke simply lifted the corner of his lips in a smile.

“Ordinary hunting is boring, so I thought I’d try something different.”

“Different?”

“Human hunting.”

Is this man seriously insane?

Franz swallowed his dry saliva. He had heard of soldiers returning from war with unhinged minds. They were said to suffer from delusions that they were still on the battlefield and tried to kill people in a frenzy.

In truth, there had been such people even in Harzen. Among mercenaries who hunted monsters, or among villagers who had been attacked by them, there were occasionally those who lost their sanity. But as someone of noble rank, he’d never had cause to interact with commoners, so this was his first time facing someone so clearly mad.

“Why are you doing this to me?”

Franz slowly backed away, studying his face. Was it a trauma from the battlefield? Even if so, for someone who had seemed fine until now to suddenly go berserk—there had to be some reason.

Then, suddenly, Brianna came to mind. Franz hastily waved his hands.

“I-if this is because of Brianna, then you’ve got it all wrong! I never even touched a hair on that girl!”

It would’ve been less frustrating if he had done something. He was just about to shout that in resentment when Lucius’s face grew even colder. Franz hurriedly piled on more excuses.

“I don’t think you really know Brianna. That girl was no ordinary child. She was so sly and beguiling, always seducing people, that even Florian fell for her. That’s just the kind of girl she’s always been. It’s not that I had bad intentions—it’s all because of that little minx—Ack!”

When Lucius moved the hand holding the gun, Franz flinched and hunched down again. But as if to mock him, Lucius simply set the rifle down on the ground and leaned against it leisurely.

“I’ll give you a choice. Pick up that rifle and shoot me. Or I’ll give you a head start—run and hide wherever you like.”

At those words, Franz stared blankly. What?

“From now on, I plan to hunt a man less than a beast. So choose wisely between those two options. If you’re lucky, you might find a way to survive.”

“Do you think you’ll get away with this? What if people find out—”

“Tell them.”

He laughed like he found it all ridiculous.

“Tell everyone the Duke suddenly went mad and shot at you. See if they believe it.”

Franz stared at Lucius, speechless.

“No one will believe something so absurd, and even if they did, they wouldn’t care what happened to you. Bringing it up will only backfire on you. You’re weaker than I am, so your words carry no weight. That’s why you’ve been threatening Brianna with nonsense all this time, isn’t it? Because you knew she’d have no choice but to stay silent no matter what you did.”

So it really was because of Brianna. The Duke already knew everything that had happened in the past.

“I… I—”

As Franz’s face turned pale, the faint smile that had lingered on Lucius’s face disappeared completely. In a voice as cold and still as ice, he murmured,

“Ah, now that I think about it, those words only matter if you survive. So I suppose they’re meaningless after all.”

And Franz realized.

This man was serious. He really intended to kill him here.

There was unmistakable murderous intent in those pitch-black eyes.

Franz felt a chill deep in his guts as he clutched the rifle. He forced his stiff fingers to move and wrapped them around the trigger. In this situation, he clearly had the upper hand. While he was ready to shoot, the Duke still had his rifle resting on the ground. If he fired now, the odds of success were far higher.

Should I just shut my eyes and pull the trigger?

But the problem was, the Duke was a seasoned soldier who had fought in countless battles. It was also far too well-known that he had graduated from the military academy with perfect scores in every subject—the highest in its history. Could someone like that really be killed in a head-on fight? Wouldn’t running be a better option, even if only slightly increasing the chances of survival…?

Just as Franz hesitated, unable to choose either option, Lucius spoke.

“If you’ve chosen the second one, I’ll start counting—”

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

Franz, now completely desperate, quickly raised his gun. He aimed it at Lucius’s face and pulled the trigger. I can shoot faster! That bastard isn’t even ready!

Bang!

“Aaargh!”

But before he could fully pull the trigger, a searing pain exploded in his shoulder, as if it had been torn apart. The hunting rifle Lucius had rested on the ground was now firmly and flawlessly in his grasp.

“Aghhh!”

Franz staggered and clutched his bleeding shoulder. The area hit by the bullet felt like it was burning alive. Tears and snot streamed down his face as he experienced the worst pain of his life.

“Oops, I missed. A vital hit would’ve been quicker and less painful.”

And then came the voice that made Franz truly realize what hell was. Lucius was actually smiling, as if delighted by his suffering. Though he pretended it had been a mistake, it was obvious he’d missed on purpose.

To make his death as painful as possible.

Frozen in terror, Franz felt like all the blood in his body had turned to ice. His teeth began to chatter. He hadn’t even reached hell yet, but the devil was already standing before him. The devil mocked and ridiculed him, and even granted him mercy.

“I’ll give you one more chance. This time, run as far as you can in the time it takes me to count to ten. One.”

And the moment Lucius began counting, Franz turned and fled.

“Help! Somebody help me!”

Franz screamed and bolted into the forest, desperately hoping to run into someone who could stop that madman.

***

Brianna had been pacing nervously by the front entrance for some time. A maid, unable to bear watching any longer, approached and spoke gently.

“Madam, please come inside. If the Duke returns, I’ll let you know right away. The evening air is getting chilly.”

Despite the earnest plea, Brianna shook her head. “I’m fine. You all go back to your work. Don’t worry about me.”

The maids exchanged troubled glances. With the Duchess so resolute, there was nothing more they could do. If only the Dowager Duchess were here to help, but both the Duke and the Dowager Duchess were currently away. Instead of trying to stop her further, they simply draped a shawl over her shoulders and stayed quietly by her side.

Brianna had always tried not to make the servants uncomfortable. Having once been in a similar position herself, she understood their situation better than anyone.

If the lady of the house refused to enter and lingered by the entrance, the servants couldn’t rest. She knew this well. But right now, she didn’t have the luxury to care for their comfort.

She had only just heard that the gathering Lucius had attended today was actually a hunting party.

“Do you enjoy hunting?”

Yes, when they met Franz last time, Lucius had said that. He had even mentioned inviting him to a hunting party soon.

A hunting party… Could Franz be there too? Knowing Lucius’s nature, there was no way he invited him there just for show.

What if he lost his temper and killed Franz? What if something went wrong and Lucius ended up getting hurt…?

Brianna clasped her hands tightly. No matter how pathetic a man might be, when cornered, he could still lash out. And this was a hunting party—Franz would definitely be armed. Even in well-prepared hunts, unexpected accidents often happen…

Please… even if you do nothing else, just come back safely.